Karen Lin, Senior Photographer
Content warning: This article contains references to suicide.
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The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis and those who want to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.
Crisis Text Line is a text messaging service for emotional crisis support. To speak to a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741.
Schedule a session to speak with a counselor at Yale Mental Health and Counseling hereOn-call counselors are available at any time: Please call (203) 432-0290.
Students interested in medical withdrawal should contact the dean of their university of residence.
Additional resources are available in guides edited by the Yale College Council. here.
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Yale University failed to adequately accommodate and support students with mental illness, a lawsuit filed Wednesday morning alleges.
41 page suits — brought up by Elis, a mental health advocacy group for Rachel and two current Yale undergraduates on Nov. 30 — says the university discriminates against students facing mental health issues. I am accusing.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that students with mental illness, especially those who choose to drop out, are held to stricter standards than those who do not. Students with mental illness from “disadvantaged backgrounds,” such as students from poor families, rural areas, and international students, said they were particularly harmed by these inconsistent protocols.
“For decades, Yale has ignored student demands for change and has done the bare minimum to accommodate students with mental health needs,” said one of the student plaintiffs. Alicia Abramson ’24, a person, wrote in News. “Yale University has refused to make any substantive changes to its policy that discriminates against students with mental disabilities despite federally protected accommodation rights. There is no excuse for refusing to change policy.”
Abramson and Hannah Neves ’23 join as undergraduate plaintiffs Rachel’s Ellisis an advocacy group made up of Yale University alumni and loved ones of Rachel Shaw Rosenbaum ’24, who died by suicide in 2021. The group’s website has specific change They are calling on Yale to build a mental health care infrastructure.
This lawsuit is a recent washington post Articles criticizing the university’s withdrawal and reinstatement policies.This article allows administrators to publicly protect Citing recent efforts, university mental health policy expansion mental health care.
last spring, news report Due to the expulsion and reinstatement policies of the time, students felt they had no choice but to graduate from Yale in cases of serious mental illness. reformThe lawsuit is in its policy to allow it.
The plaintiffs are seeking injunctive relief, which means Yale wants to further reform its mental health policy to remedy the alleged discrimination. not.
Abramson entered Yale University in the fall of 2018 and dropped out in October 2019 for mental health reasons. Abramson wrote in News that her lawsuit was an effort to prevent others from going through the same “painful process” she endured when she withdrew.
According to Abramson, the process included “denial of accommodation, undue burden to seek reinstatement, and punitive consequences for withdrawal.”
She wrote that she was on a “lucky ending” because her family’s support allowed her to seek treatment outside of Yale University. It is particularly detrimental to students with backgrounds that may limit access to health insurance, treatment options, family and financial support, and housing outside of Yale.
The lawsuit is a class action lawsuit, which in this case represents “all Yale students who have or have a record of a mental disorder and who are being harmed or reasonably feared.” means that it is filed under We are being harmed by the unlawful policies and practices challenged in this lawsuit.”
The lawsuit, which alleges that the university’s mental health policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Affordable Care Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, filed a class action lawsuit in the District Court of Connecticut. Seeking a position.
Karen Peart, interim vice president for communications, wrote to News that she “believes” that the university’s policies comply with applicable laws and regulations. Nevertheless, she said university leaders are working on policy changes that “address the emotional and financial well-being of students” and are working to increase support resources.
“Faculty, staff, and leaders at Yale University care deeply about our students. “When we make decisions and set policies, our primary focus is on how students are most vulnerable,” Part wrote on behalf of the university. It’s the safety and health of our students.”
Pert pointed out that often the “safest plan” for students involves involving parents and families. In a statement, Peart also noted that the university recently simplified the return process for medical withdrawals.
Paul Mange Johansen ’88, organizer of Elis for Rachael, told The News the main reason the lawsuit was filed was the university’s failure to respond to a large number of student reports. Six reports from diverse student groups, including a mental health advocacy group of Yale Law School students, detail issues with Yale’s nine years of mental health policy. Did. He characterized the student’s request for policy change as “very thoughtful” and “not unreasonable”, and claimed that “little” reaction occurred.
Johansen also thanked Yale students for sharing their experiences with mental health. In addition to the two current students who are plaintiffs, a number of alumni shared their experiences of accessing mental health care and withdrawing from Yale University.
“As current students, I think it takes a tremendous amount of courage to blame your university for what we’re blaming,” Johansen told News.
Additionally, Johansen said Rachel’s Elise had multiple conversations with Hoffman, but that too didn’t lead to much change.
Maia Goodell of LAW ’06, who is the attorney representing the two current students and Rachel’s Ellis, told News that Rachel’s Ellis, along with her attorney, sent a complaint to the college in early August. Consistent with the claims of the lawsuit, they have not addressed or discussed the complaint issue.
“The legal team and the client are all happy and determined to continue their efforts, but it’s time to take the next step,” says Goodell.
She added that now that the lawsuit has been filed, the university can follow policy requirements or file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit if it determines the legal claim is invalid. Choosing to do so will result in a lengthy period of legal debate.
If defendants allege their claims are invalid, they will follow typical civil procedure, Goodell explained. lead to more thorough court debates. When a lawsuit is brought to court, it enters a discovery period during which both parties exchange litigation-related documents and information and take depositions.
After the deposition, the case will go to trial. However, at any time during this process, either party may choose to reach a settlement or participate in a structured negotiation agreement. In negotiations, the parties work together to plan how to resolve the claim without going to court.
Another Elis for Rachael organizer, Alicia Floyd ’05, told News that one of the main goals of the lawsuit is to get universities to listen more directly to their students’ experiences.
“Our number one priority is to force Yale to listen to our students, and hopefully in the process, give them practice and improve their skills for the future.” “We’re definitely on this for the long haul,” Floyd told News.
Goodell explained that this is one of the reasons the class action lawsuit was filed.
Federal rules for civil proceedings describe the criteria by which a judge considers a class valid. This includes the size and similarity of the group as a whole, as well as other characteristics. If the class is deemed invalid, the lawsuit is generally dismissed.
Goodell said the legal team has spoken with a number of students during the course of the “extensive investigation” of potential claims, and Yale students who may be affected by the issues raised in the complaint. We continue to welcome you to speak with us.
“Whatever your perspective, I’d love to hear from people who are going through these kinds of experiences,” said Goodell.
Johansen also added that the lawsuit does not deter other efforts involving Ellis for Rachel.
Both Floyd and Goodell stressed that the lawsuit was not an enmity against Yale, but an effort to make Yale better. He explained that it was nothing more than
“Students have rights, and we have legal avenues to approach students who aren’t upholding those rights,” Floyd said. We want everything for our students.”
The Yale policy debate is part of a larger debate about mental health in higher education.
In 2018, Goodell helped file a similar class action lawsuit. lawsuit Stanford University has accused students of mental illness of turning them off campus and treating them like “legal liability.” Stanford University, which she settled in 2019, agreed to give students a greater say in whether or not to take mental health-related leave. For students who choose to remain, Stanford has agreed to provide disability-compliant accommodations.
Some say the Stanford settlement has not expanded enough. Harrison Fowler, a student plaintiff in the Stanford case, washington post Their lawsuit drew attention to the issue and prompted policy changes, but the problem remains.
Separately, Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts, USA sent a letter Asked Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Attorney General Merrick Garland to issue new guidance to prevent universities from forcing students to take involuntary medical leave He called for detailed responses and relevant data on the matter by December 20, calling for urgent action given the rapidly increasing number of reported mental health crises at universities. expressed.
The lawsuit against Stanford was filed by Disability Rights Advocates of San Francisco on behalf of the Stanford Mental Health and Wellness Coalition.
Anika Seth
Anika Seth writes about admissions, financial aid, alumni, diversity, equity and inclusion at Yale University. She also lays out the weekly print edition of the news as editor of the production desk and co-chairs Diversity & Inclusion. Anika previously worked at Yale University where she was responsible for STEM, especially new facility projects and investments. A native of her DC Metro area, Anika is in her sophomore year at Branford College, majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Studies in Women, Gender, and Sexuality.
